Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Rubbermaid Giveaway
Are you in need of new containers for freezing and storing? I know we are. If so, head over to Frugal Upstate right away to enter for your chance to win a 20 piece Rubbermaid set. Giveaway ends June 19th at midnight EST.
Tops Deals 6/14-6/20
Some of the Tops deals do not begin until Thursday, so I would suggest waiting until at least then to go do your grocery shopping. Here are the deals for the week:
- Fresh chicken leg quarters. $.49 a pound
- Corn on the con 4/$1
- Tops chunk cheese 2/$4
- California peaches $.99 a pound
- Wisk laundry detergent. $3.99 Print coupon here, for $1 off, making it $2.99.
- Smuckers grape jelly $1.49. Use coupon for $.25 from 3-29 insert, which doubles to $.50, making this less than $1
- Cheerios - buy 2 boxes at $2.49 and use $1 off 2 coupon from 6-14, making these $1.99 each.
- Boneless Sirloin Pork Chops, Mixed Pork Chops or Ground Pork $1.99 per pound
- Ken's salad dressing 2/$5 use coupon for $1 off from 5-3 insert making these $1.50 each
- Ken's Lite Accent salad Spray $2.19. Use coupon for $1 off from 5-3 insert making these $1.19 each
- Ortega taco dinner kits 2/$5. Use coupon for $.75 off 2, which doubles to $1.50, making these 2/$3.50
- Purex Complete 3-in-1 $4.99. Use coupon for $2 off from 6-14 insert to make this $2.99
- Scotties facial tissue $1 each. Buy 5 and use $1 off 5 coupon from 6-7. This would make them .80 each. Or you may have a coupon for $1 off 3 which would make them 3/$2. This would also be an excellent choice to use with your coupon doubler coupon (Thursday, Friday and Saturday only - limit of 2 doubler coupons)
- 7Up or A&w Rootbeer 2 liters $1
- Aunt Jemima waffles $1 each. Buy 2 and use $1 off 2 coupon from 5-3 insert (if you still have them) to make these $.50 each
- Hunts Ketchup $1. Use $.20 coupon from 5-3 insert which doubles to $.40, making this $.60
- Keebler Sandies shortbread cookies $2.99. Print coupon here for $1 off 1 to make these $1.99.
- Fresh sliced provolone cheese $3.99 a pound (Thurs-Sat only)
- Tops american cheese singles 12 oz. $.99 each (very good price!!)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
$100 Home Depot Card Giveaway
I just wanted to let you all know quickly that Melissa from Saving Cents with Sense is running a contest until June 18 at noon. Enter to win a $100 Home Depot gift card to give for your favorite man for Father's Day. But hurry over since it ends Thursday!
Tuesday Giveaway / Contest Roundup
Here is a list of all the great giveaways that I've come across in the last few days:
- Jollys garden shoes and clogs. Win a pair of shoes or clogs by clicking here. This contest ends June 22.
- Like cupcakes? Who doesn't? LOL. Go check out Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls' Cupcake Gourmet giveaway to win a dozen mini cupcakes. Contest ends June 21
- Looking for healthy snacks for your kids, go enter to win a 10 pack of organic apple sauce from Smashies. Contest ends June 21
- Are your pregnant or have a little baby? Go over and enter to win a $50 gift certificate to Eco Bebe Boutique. You can also win a taggie blanket (blanket with tags all over - you know how babies love the tags). Both contests end June 22.
- Are you new to couponing and need a place to put all those coupons? Go over to Frugal Mommy of 2 Girls' site and enter to win an ORIGINAL HAND EMBROIDERED COUPON ORGANIZER from Austin Artisan. Contest ends June 20
- Want sunglasses for your kids that won't fall off their head ever two minutes. Go over and enter Frugal Mommy's site to win a pair of Baby Banz sunglasses. Contest ends June 18.
- Are you pregnant and want something that will actually fit your new addition during the first few weeks. My Mom's View is giving away a $75 gift certificate to Zutano's for anything in their Itzy Bitzy line. Contest ends June 22
- MomDot.com has a whole list of blogs that have contests currently going on. Go here to look at the list and enter the contests.
- Don't forget about my coupon giveaway. It ends June 24.
Kraft Coupons
Go to Share a Little Comfort to donate a box of macaroni and cheese to Feeding America for free. While you are there, print off coupons for $1.50 off 2 boxes of Kraft Deluxe Mac N Cheese or Shells N Cheese and/or Buy 3 get one free!
Monday, June 15, 2009
Menu Plan Monday 6/15
If you want to save money on groceries, meal planning is key. Every weekend I plan out my meals for the next week. When I have my menu planned for the week, I save money and I save time. I share it with you, to give you ideas of how we eat on a limited budget. Hopefully, this inspires you to plan your own menu for the week.
Here is my meal plan for this week:
- Monday - leftover pork chops, veggie, side of pasta
- Tuesday - lasagna and green beans
- Wednesday -chicken and biscuits
- Thursday - leftovers
- Friday - homemade pizza, salad
- Saturday - panninis, vegetable
- Sunday - chili and cornbread
Eating Healthy for Less
Eating frugally does not equal not eating healthy. People have this notion that in order to save money on food, that they will not be able to buy healthy foods. This is just not so. There are several ways to help stretch your grocery dollar without stretching your waistline.
Produce
Buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. Around here $1 per pound for fruits such as apples, grapes and pears is a very
good price. Check local farmer's markets and roadside stands for fresh and local produce. In the winter when produce is not in season, we end up eating a lot of bananas and apples, and sometimes grapes if they are on sale. We also buy a lot of frozen vegetables. Frozen right after they are picked, frozen fruits and vegetables taste delicious and still have the important vitamins in them as fresh produce does. Budget out a certain amount a week to buy produce. We budget $6 a week usually.
You may also want to think about growing your own produce. For the cost of seeds and a little seat equity, you can have wonderful fruits and veggies all summer long! Produce from your own garden tastes so much better than the ones bought at the store. If you end up having too much (we might end up with too much lettuce and beans.. lol), you can give it away to friends and family, or even to your local food pantry.
Meat
Buy lean meat such as ground turkey or boneless skinless chicken breast. Buy meat when you find it for less than $2 a pound. When you get a good sale, you may even want to buy extra and freeze some of it. A trick I use to make my meat last longer is to only use 3/4 of a pound instead of a pound. You won't even know the difference, but your wallet will. Check out weekly store fliers for the best meat sales that week and plan your meals around them. You may even want to consider having one or two days a week where you have a meatless meal. You could have beans and rice or chili without meat, or many other tasty meals.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Many people are concerned nowadays about this sweetener. I know my family has cut down their consumption of the sweetener dramatically in the last year or so. Read the ingredient list carefully. I will buy something that is sweetened with sugar before I will buy something with HFCS, especially if it something my kids eat a lot of, like jelly. HFCS is so many things: pancake syrup, cereals, some canned fruits (the ones that say heavy syrup), some instant oatmeals, bread, and more.
Convenience Foods
There are some healthy convenience foods out there, you just need to read the ingredients to find them. A lot of the convenience foods I buy are pretty good for you (although I will admit to the occassional chocolate bar or
bag of Doritos .. lol). You can find coupons for these things that will reduce how much you pay for them. In our house I have to admit that we keep a stockpile of mac n cheese. Although it isn't the healthiest thing for them, it sure is a lot better than fast food, plus it is something my husband can make. LOL.
Sometimes you need a certain food, but the healthier version is too expensive. This was the case with bread in my family. I started using my breadmaker (that I got for free from freecycle) to make homemade bread with no HFCS and no additives and preservatives. I recently started making sandwich bread, and this recipes makes 3 loaves of amazing bread, ready for peanut butter and jelly or a slices of turkey or ham.
Meal Planning
Meal Planning is crucial when you want to save money and eat healthy too. Look at the sales ads of your nearby grocery stores and plan your meals around the sale items and what you have in the house already. When I meal plan, I try not to have too much pasta each week, since both my husband and I are trying to lose weight. I make sure there is a vegetable or fruit with just about every meal also. Frozen vegetables are usually the mainstay in this house because I can get them for about $1 a bag (16 oz). Every Monday I post my meals for the week on here. This helps me to plan, but also I hope inspires my readers to plan for their week.
Stay Out of the Store!
It's a fact. The more you go to store, the more likely it is that you will spend more money and go over your budget. Try to only go to the store once a week, or even every two weeks. I always get as much milk as I can fit in my fridge (6 gallons - and they will get drank in my house! lol) so that I do not have to run back out to the store anytime soon. Have a list on your fridge where you can write down everything you run out of, or are getting low on, so you can get everything in one trip.
See. You can eat frugally and still eat healthy. You may also want to check out 5 Dollar Dinners for more meal ideas that cost less than $5 for a family of 4. She has an awesome blog and is currently writing a cookbook, so I will be looking for that when it comes out. Did I forget anything? Anything you would like comment on or add to my frugal shopping tips? Please leave it in my comments. Have a frugal and healthy day!
Produce
Buy fruits and vegetables when they are in season. Around here $1 per pound for fruits such as apples, grapes and pears is a very
good price. Check local farmer's markets and roadside stands for fresh and local produce. In the winter when produce is not in season, we end up eating a lot of bananas and apples, and sometimes grapes if they are on sale. We also buy a lot of frozen vegetables. Frozen right after they are picked, frozen fruits and vegetables taste delicious and still have the important vitamins in them as fresh produce does. Budget out a certain amount a week to buy produce. We budget $6 a week usually.You may also want to think about growing your own produce. For the cost of seeds and a little seat equity, you can have wonderful fruits and veggies all summer long! Produce from your own garden tastes so much better than the ones bought at the store. If you end up having too much (we might end up with too much lettuce and beans.. lol), you can give it away to friends and family, or even to your local food pantry.
Meat
Buy lean meat such as ground turkey or boneless skinless chicken breast. Buy meat when you find it for less than $2 a pound. When you get a good sale, you may even want to buy extra and freeze some of it. A trick I use to make my meat last longer is to only use 3/4 of a pound instead of a pound. You won't even know the difference, but your wallet will. Check out weekly store fliers for the best meat sales that week and plan your meals around them. You may even want to consider having one or two days a week where you have a meatless meal. You could have beans and rice or chili without meat, or many other tasty meals.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Many people are concerned nowadays about this sweetener. I know my family has cut down their consumption of the sweetener dramatically in the last year or so. Read the ingredient list carefully. I will buy something that is sweetened with sugar before I will buy something with HFCS, especially if it something my kids eat a lot of, like jelly. HFCS is so many things: pancake syrup, cereals, some canned fruits (the ones that say heavy syrup), some instant oatmeals, bread, and more.
Convenience Foods
There are some healthy convenience foods out there, you just need to read the ingredients to find them. A lot of the convenience foods I buy are pretty good for you (although I will admit to the occassional chocolate bar or
bag of Doritos .. lol). You can find coupons for these things that will reduce how much you pay for them. In our house I have to admit that we keep a stockpile of mac n cheese. Although it isn't the healthiest thing for them, it sure is a lot better than fast food, plus it is something my husband can make. LOL.Sometimes you need a certain food, but the healthier version is too expensive. This was the case with bread in my family. I started using my breadmaker (that I got for free from freecycle) to make homemade bread with no HFCS and no additives and preservatives. I recently started making sandwich bread, and this recipes makes 3 loaves of amazing bread, ready for peanut butter and jelly or a slices of turkey or ham.
Meal Planning
Meal Planning is crucial when you want to save money and eat healthy too. Look at the sales ads of your nearby grocery stores and plan your meals around the sale items and what you have in the house already. When I meal plan, I try not to have too much pasta each week, since both my husband and I are trying to lose weight. I make sure there is a vegetable or fruit with just about every meal also. Frozen vegetables are usually the mainstay in this house because I can get them for about $1 a bag (16 oz). Every Monday I post my meals for the week on here. This helps me to plan, but also I hope inspires my readers to plan for their week.
Stay Out of the Store!
It's a fact. The more you go to store, the more likely it is that you will spend more money and go over your budget. Try to only go to the store once a week, or even every two weeks. I always get as much milk as I can fit in my fridge (6 gallons - and they will get drank in my house! lol) so that I do not have to run back out to the store anytime soon. Have a list on your fridge where you can write down everything you run out of, or are getting low on, so you can get everything in one trip.
See. You can eat frugally and still eat healthy. You may also want to check out 5 Dollar Dinners for more meal ideas that cost less than $5 for a family of 4. She has an awesome blog and is currently writing a cookbook, so I will be looking for that when it comes out. Did I forget anything? Anything you would like comment on or add to my frugal shopping tips? Please leave it in my comments. Have a frugal and healthy day!
Giveaway - Over $100 in Coupons
** This contest is currently closed. Check back to see who won on Thursday June 25. If you didn't win, please come back to my blog often, because I usually have a coupon giveaway almost every month. **
Would you like to win a lot of coupons? Well, here is your chance to win over $100 in coupons. This contest ends on Wednesday June 24 at 11pm. All coupons expire in July or later. SOme of the coupons you will be getting are for products such as: Eggland's, Pillsbury, YoPlus Yogurt, Mop&Glo, Kelloggs Pop Tarts, Jergens, Purina, manwich, Sunsilk, Nature Valley, Oxy, Betty Crocker, Always, Tide, Crest, dawn, Pampers, Snyder's, and more. So, here's how you can get entries:
Would you like to win a lot of coupons? Well, here is your chance to win over $100 in coupons. This contest ends on Wednesday June 24 at 11pm. All coupons expire in July or later. SOme of the coupons you will be getting are for products such as: Eggland's, Pillsbury, YoPlus Yogurt, Mop&Glo, Kelloggs Pop Tarts, Jergens, Purina, manwich, Sunsilk, Nature Valley, Oxy, Betty Crocker, Always, Tide, Crest, dawn, Pampers, Snyder's, and more. So, here's how you can get entries:
- 1 entry- post a comment under this post saying why you would like to win
- 1 entry - stumbling this post. Leave a comment below letting me know you did this and what your user name is.
- 1 entry- following me on twitter. The link is on my sidebar. Please leave me a comment under this post letting me know you are now following me and your twitter name. An additional entry for twittering about my contest. Please leave me http of the twitter. You can just re-tweet this: http://twitter.com/corningcoupons/statuses/2174675942
- 2 entries- posting about my contest on your blog. Please leave a comment below with the link to the post.
- 3 entries - putting my badge (which can be found on the sidebar under Grab My Badge) on your blog or website's blogroll. Please leave me a comment below with the link to your site.
- 2 entries - emailing your friends and family about this contest. Please leave me a comment letting me know you did this and put on cc: (couponqueenofcorning @ hotmail.com).
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Mentioned in Newspaper
In today's Star Gazette I was mentioned for my couponing and frugality. Check it out here. So. if you are new to my site, check out my posts, along with links at the top of the page on couponing, budgeting and more.
I will be having another coupon giveaway starting in the next few days, so come back and visit so you can enter. I have a lot of extra coupons to give away and it looks like there might be $75-$100 in coupons being given away in this one. I will sort through them and post as soon as I can (I am thinking Tuesday at the latest). Until then, look around my site and feel free to leave some comments.
I will be having another coupon giveaway starting in the next few days, so come back and visit so you can enter. I have a lot of extra coupons to give away and it looks like there might be $75-$100 in coupons being given away in this one. I will sort through them and post as soon as I can (I am thinking Tuesday at the latest). Until then, look around my site and feel free to leave some comments.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Job Fair in Elmira
Hubby and I went to the Employment Fair Friday in Elmira. There wasn't a lot of employers there (not like the job fair they had a few months ago in Big Flats), but we figured it would be worth going to and checking it out. Hubby ended up being there just for moral support for me, because there were no manufacturing employees there.
I talked to a few employers, but two of them really stood out as the kind of job that I would really be good at and enjoy. I went home and printed off the one job's pdf job application, filled it out and mailed it in along with my resume, coverletter and list of references. The other job I was interested in, wanted an email stating why I think I would be the appropriate choice for the job, so I worked on that last night and emailed it. I would love to get either one of these jobs as they both sound really interestin. So I'm crossing my fingers.
Either way, I think it was a good experience because I was feeling a little down about not being able to find a job yet. I felt like there was some promise in these jobs and that helped get my spirits up. So, hopefully I will be getting some calls for interviews soon.
I talked to a few employers, but two of them really stood out as the kind of job that I would really be good at and enjoy. I went home and printed off the one job's pdf job application, filled it out and mailed it in along with my resume, coverletter and list of references. The other job I was interested in, wanted an email stating why I think I would be the appropriate choice for the job, so I worked on that last night and emailed it. I would love to get either one of these jobs as they both sound really interestin. So I'm crossing my fingers.
Either way, I think it was a good experience because I was feeling a little down about not being able to find a job yet. I felt like there was some promise in these jobs and that helped get my spirits up. So, hopefully I will be getting some calls for interviews soon.
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